Times Editorial : Gambling-lite
Posted on Monday, September 18, 2006
Arkansas voters can decriminalize bingo and other games of chance played for charitable causes in the Nov. 7 general election. Last year the Arkansas Legislature went out on a limb and referred Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1, which carries the rather tedious popular name: A constitutional amendment providing that bingo and raffles, if conducted by authorized organizations (defined as nonprofit religious, educational, veterans, fraternal, service, civic, medical, volunteer rescue, volunteer fire and volunteer police organizations ) shall not be constitutionally prohibited as a lottery, provided the organization has been in existence five years and net receipts are used only for charitable, religious or philanthropic purposes.
If passed, that would end the shame of thousands of wellmeaning Arkansas citizens who get involved in sponsoring or otherwise participating in games of chance for good causes. Most frequently, those games are bingo, in which you buy a card to play in hopes of winning a prize, and a raffle, in which you buy a ticket that gives you a chance to win a prize in a drawing.
Charitable organizations, even including some church groups, sponsor such events to raise money for their activities. But the Arkansas Constitution says that no lottery shall be authorized by this state, nor shall the sale of lottery tickets be allowed.
Because bingo and raffles are classified as lotteries, that makes a lot of people lawbreakers. By the way, so is that NCAA bracket game and any other game that requires you to pay to play, with a chance of winning a prize.
If passed, Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1 would allow our law enforcement officers, who occasionally decide to crack down on bingo games and raffles, to focus on more important things. During the past couple of years sheriffs in Randolph and Jackson counties, perhaps feeling pressure from some citizens who complained about the games of chance, made controversial efforts to shut down bingo halls.
In 2005 Prosecuting Attorney Henry Boyce of Newport ordered all bingo operations in Jackson, Lawrence, Sharp and Randolph counties to close. Worse, in the summer of 2004 a bingo parlor at Sedgwick was twice set afire by arsonists, and the second time its building was destroyed. Of course, not all games of chance are operated by charitable organizations for charitable purposes.
Proposed Amendment 1 would legalize only those run by charitable organizations that have been in existence for at least five years. It also specifies that all net receipts from the game, over and above the actual cost of conducting the game or raffle, must be used for charitable, religious or philanthrophic purposes. And it further stipulates that no receipts can be used to compensate anyone for conducting the game (s ).
The proposal narrowly defines the game of bingo and the practice of conducting a raffle. In both cases the player must pay a fee up front to have a chance to win. Presumably, this would not affect games of chance in which no fee to play is involved.
The real rub has been for games in which a contribution is expected but not required. That may still be an issue, regardless of the outcome for this proposal. If passed, the proposed amendment would go into effect Jan. 1. However, the General Assembly would still be required to pass legislation for licensing and regulating organizations that want to conduct bingo games and raffles. This provision also adds that the Legislature may levy taxes on the activities. Even if the government does take a portion of the proceeds, Proposed Constitutional Amendment 1 should be passed to bring law into line with reality.
- The Jonesboro Sun
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